CH. 8: Proving Worth

[djhyland]

"You do know her," Arulia says. "And you've worked with her before, it seems. But you are probably right, her husband doesn't want her to put herself in danger." She shakes her head. "I can't say I blame him," she muses. "Despite your assurances, she'd be putting her life on the line. But she sees it as her own choice, not her husband's."

[JadedDM]

Haahqae, Arulia, Gobax, Felran and Ne-Chanz (High Hand Inn, Common room)
Gregeddin strokes his chin. "So Kendra joined the army? The dragonarmy? How very...interesting. Having an ally inside the army is bound to prove useful at some point or another," he muses aloud. Shaking his head, he adds, "Anyway, I suppose we should leave it up to her. We can stop by her place, although perhaps we should wait outside while Miss Arulia here enters to speak with her. She should be less threatening to Kendra's husband."

Kendra Greylock (2527 Market Street, Greylock's Gorgeous Gems)
Norris looks upon Kendra with a mix of shock and perhaps a little horror. "K-Kendra? This is a dangerous game you are playing," he warns. "Do you have any idea what they would do to you if they learned what you were up to? I hear the priests at the temple can read minds. And that the army has spies everywhere. Are you sure you know what you are doing and what you are risking?" he asks.

[Haahque]

"Very well, sounds like a plan, let's be off then."

[TristenC]

Rather than all of us making the circuit, Grubnick says to the group, and drawing lots of attention or bothering her husband; why don't Haahque and Arulia go alone, talk to Kendra, then claim Arulia's gear and return here?

[Haahque]

Haahqae looks a little dejected by this, but as he looks over the party he makes up his mind that it's a good idea. "Yes yes, I suppose there's no need to drag you all out into the cold now is there? I've got the documents to allow us to be armed in public, so I'll go with Arulia and return here."

[HorizonsDream]

"Why do you think I was hesitant to tell you in the first place?" Kendra asks before she sighs. "I know what I've gotten myself into, and I know the punishment if I fail. Though, if something does happen to me and they come here. You know absolutely nothing about it, understood?"

[spyguy1503]

"I can wait." Ne-Chanz says, relaxing.

[BishGada]

Hearing the guards conversation Tulbas immediately looks at his father and the other occupants of their wagon if they heard the same. "They are going to slaughter us." he whispers. "If there is a time to do something it is now, in this momentary confusion of them." Tulbas moves closer to his father and asks, "What should we do? Join forces to break the bars or lock, or try distraction by illusions? Anyone here can still cast spells? Maybe knock the door and we all rush out? We have nothing to lose." he whispers.

[JadedDM]

Haahqae and Arulia (2527 Market Street, Greylock's Gorgeous Gems)
With that settled, Haahqae and Arulia leave the High Hand and make their way toward the nearby jewelry shop. There is only one checkpoint along the way, and when they are stopped, Haahqae shows the guards a piece of paper. Arulia only gets a glance at it, but it looks like a permit and it has the Dragon Queen's insignia on it--the five headed dragon. When the guards see it, they let them pass, despite the fact Haahqae is clearly carrying a bow and arrows.

When they reach the shop, it has not opened for business yet (it's only Second Watch, by this point), so Arulia knocks. They wait a minute or so, before Kendra opens the door.

Gobax, Felran and Ne-Chanz (High Hand Inn, Common room)
With that settled, Haahqae and Arulia step out of the High Hand while the others remain behind to wait. This gives Felran and Ne-Chanz time to finish their breakfasts, at any rate.

The kender that Arulia had been speaking to before climbs off of his barstool and approaches. He wears a blue shirt and blue leggings, a white cap with little fox ears on the top, and a green backpack and blue cloak. His boots are mud-splattered to the point that their color can't be identified. "So, are you guys adventurers? Putting together a party or something? I can tell. Big group of diverse races...that's the first tip off. So, you rescuing princesses or smiting evil lich kings or something?"

Kendra Greylock (2527 Market Street, Greylock's Gorgeous Gems)
Norris sighs. "If they can read minds, then denial might not save me. They might arrest me and your family just to be safe, even if we are innocent." He shakes his head. "Are you sure you really want to do this? You know, the Qualinesti didn't exactly stick their necks out to help us when the army conquered the city. In fact, I'm certain if the roles were reversed, they wouldn't lift a finger to help us..."

There's a knock at the front door. "Too early for a customer, not that we get those anymore," Norris observes. "Probably for you then."

Tulbas Erogund (Unknown location)
"I'm not sure what we can do," Tulbas' father replies. "They can just as easily cut us down whether we rush them or wait here. What we need...is a distraction of some kind."

"If only the gods had not abandoned us," laments one of the elves locked up with them. "Curse the humans for driving them away!"

Suddenly, they hear a bird call in the brush, behind them. It is answered by a second bird call on the other side of the road. Tulbas' mother and father both seemed surprise to hear them. "Is that..?" his father asks.

"I think so," his mother replies. "Get ready..."

Before Tulbas can ask what they are talking about, there's a battle cry as a group of strangers burst from the brush and start attacking the soldiers. They seem a mixed group of mercenaries--humans, half-elves, and dwarves, and even an elf or two. Two of them wear red robes, indicating they are mages. Soon the soldiers are fighting for their lives and all attention is off of the wagon and its occupants.

[Haahque]

"Hi there Kendra, long time no see!" Haahqae starts cheerfully, then remembers; "Oh right, Arulia was going to do the talking."

[HorizonsDream]

Kendra stands in the doorway and looks to Arulia and Haahqae in confusion. "Uh, hi," she says as she looks between the two of them. "Is something going on?"

[djhyland]

Arulia steps up to the doorway. "I'm...um...sorry for stopping by again. It's just that, well, I've found a job to do. This man here," she says, motioning to Haahqae, "hired me on as a fighter of some sort, and he seems to be looking for more who can fight too. I suggested you, and he seems to know you already." She leans in close so that her voice doesn't carry past the two of them. "He says he's going to fight the Belzorites. Maybe your...new employer would be interested in seeing them gone?"

[HorizonsDream]

"I don't think my employer would care one way or another," Kendra points out. "She, uh, is probably more concern with the big march coming up tomorrow," she points out. "Though, why are you guys going after Belzorites?" she asks curiously.

[Haahque]

"Well Magnus wanted Tulbas to go after them, and we were helping him out because we're nice people, but then Tulbas went missing and we're pretty sure he wasn't eaten by zombies. Instead we tracked him down to the Belzorite lair hidden in this city and we're pretty sure he went missing around there. Except that we didn't know that the lair was there at the time, I found the Belzorite hideout while we were looking for him, and we found a patch of blood outside their lair right where he was supposed to have gone missing, so I'm pretty sure they've got him. Also when I disguised myself and talked to some of their guards it sounded like they did have him. But then Gegreddin and this new goblin guy we found burst in and ruined my negotiating with them so we fought the guards there, but it didn't go well. We barely escaped with our lives. So we figured we need some more fighting power. There was only three of us that time, now we have more, like six or eight, including Ismene who is the most amazing and wonderful and powerful illusionist I have ever seen. She's the one I talked to you about earlier. With this many powerful heroes I don't think there's a way we could fail to burst into their lair and rescue Tulbas. That is, of course if you agree to help. Please?" Apparently Haahqae doesn't seem to need to breath while he's talking.

[spyguy1503]

"Smiting too-curious kender, perhaps" Ne-Chanz says with a snort. "Why do you want to know?"